Aerosols are always present in the atmosphere but in extremely variable concentrations due to the very large heterogeneity in aerosol sources and their relatively short residence time in the atmosphere. They form an integral part of the climate system and interact with the atmosphere, the cryosphere, the biosphere, and the ocean. Aerosols from different sources don't have the same effects on the microphysical properties of clouds and on the atmospheric radiative transfer. They modify the cloud microphysical properties and interact with electromagnetic radiation that propagates in the atmosphere in several ways. Aerosols influence the microphysical properties of liquid clouds, in particular through their role as cloud condensation nuclei upon which water vapour can condense, which controls in part of the concentration and size of the amount of cloud water droplets. They also modify the microphysical properties of ice clouds whereby they act as ice nuclei that favour the formation of ice phase. The aerosol chemical composition can also determine the degree of acidity of the cloud droplets and control the rate of some of the chemical reactions that take place in the droplets. Solar (shortwave) radiation that interacts with aerosols is deflected in all directions but anisotropically. Aerosols also scatter and absorb terrestrial (longwave) radiation emitted by the Earth's surface and atmosphere. Clouds scatter solar radiation much more than they absorb it, and this results in clouds reflecting a significant fraction of solar radiation back to space. Conversely, radiation is an important factor that governs the evolution of a cloud. The investigation of the interactions of physical, chemical and optical of natural and anthropogenic aerosols with cloud and radiative transfer by using remote sensing observation techniques and models need be improved in order to reach the good knowledge and high level of understanding of the role of aerosols on weather and climate.

Manuscripts on all aspects of the interactions between aerosol, cloud and radiation are welcome for this Special Issue.

Aims and Scope:

1. Interactions of aerosols with clouds microphysical properties and radiative transfer
2. Optical properties of natural and anthropogenic aerosols
3. The use of satellite and ground based remote sensors to study aerosols-cloud-radiation relationship
4. Simulation of aerosol-clouds interactions using regional and global models
5. Remote sensing techniques for better understanding the role aerosols on weather and climate